Creative Scotland has recovered more than £67,000 from an explicit art project that was planned to include authentic performances.
Director Leonie Rae Gasson was awarded a total of £84,555 for the development of Rein in a January round of arts agency National Lottery Open Fund.
The project is billed as a 45-minute multi-screen moving image installation that “immerses viewers in a raucous public exploration of dyke sexuality”.
However, it under scrutiny Because the show’s climax was billed as a “secret cave sex party.”
Following public outcry, Creative Scotland announced withdraw its support This comes as the latest phase of the project breaches funding conditions.
Creative Scotland chief executive Iain Munro said in a letter to Holyrood’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee on Tuesday that £67,741 had been recovered from Ms Garson.
Together with the 10% of winnings that have not yet been paid, the total has now been withdrawn at £76,196 – 90% of the original winnings.
Mr Munro explained that by the time Ms Garson was told to turn around, she had incurred £8,359 in legitimate costs, mainly to subcontracted freelancers.
Creative Scotland It said it does not intend to recover fees already paid to third parties “in order to protect the often unstable income of these subcontracted freelancers”.
The arts agency also confirmed it has no intention of clawing back the £23,210 awarded to Ms Garson in August 2022 for the research and development phase of the project.
Mr Munro said: “We have no grounds to seek to reclaim the award as the works have been completed in accordance with the provisions of the approved application.”
Rein – described as a “supportive and supportive work/er project” which urges participants aged over 18 to take part – offers budding performers £270 a day to take part in a series of scenes including “The Kiss” , “vanilla sex” and “hardcore action.”
Mr Munro wrote: “Creative Scotland’s role is not to censor nor to be the arbiter of cultural taste, but Creative Scotland does have important responsibilities to the public for the correct use of public funds and we take these responsibilities very seriously.”
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However, Mr Munro said: “The explicit representation of certain aspects of queer culture and sexuality in Rein was carefully considered in the approved application and the team was understood to be handling the nature of the content sensitively.
“However, as became clear in March 2024, when the project team was developing new content for its website and making it public as part of a call for participants, a new and significant discrepancy emerged that threw the project into unacceptable situation.
“Our intention was to include real sexual behaviors in the work, rather than depict performances that simulated sexual acts.
“This represents a significant change to an approved project, moving it from a ‘performance’ to a reality and into a space that Creative Scotland considers unsuitable for public funding.”
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Mr Munro said legal advice was sought before withdrawing support.
Creative Scotland, which awards around 2,000 funding awards each year, said it intends to publish application materials related to Rein after a “thorough review” to remove any personal or confidential business information, or information that “may pose a risk to individuals” if publicly disclosed.
Mr Munro said: “The committee should be aware that since the project became the focus of mainstream and social media, individuals involved have been threatened and abused both online and in person.
“There were also highly discriminatory comments directed at individuals, organizations and groups associated with the project, as well as Creative Scotland staff.
“We believe this is unacceptable and we will seek legal advice before taking any further action, including providing further application information.”
Creative Scotland’s handling of applications is under review and Mr Munro said “we may recommend a reduction in the maximum award level for funding released to individuals”.
GlasgowDirector Ms Garson has been contacted for comment.
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